[X] My Assistant

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

Apparently they are very seriously considering it, at the cost of one targeted Titan flyby during the primary mission -- although it isn't clear yet just how close they may come, as compared to the original untargeted flyby of 33,000 km:

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/sig-event-....cfm?newsID=555

The decision will be made tomorrow. If they go, there will be targeted flybys of Tethys, Hyperion and Dione within a month of each other, and of Rhea only about a month later.

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

I forgot to mention that Cassini's closest flyby of Telesto -- within 10,000 km -- comes only 2 1/2 hours after the Dione flyby. Nor should we forget the second targeted (and third close) Enceladus flyby on July 14, and the fact that Cassini makes its closest primary-mission flyby of Mimas (45,000 km) on Aug. 2. (The Rhea flyby is Nov. 26.) Oh, yes: Cassini's second-closest flyby of Telesto -- 19,000 km -- is on Christmas. All in all, a very busy period moonwise -- after which all the smaller moons will be totally ignored until mid-2007, with the focus entirely on Saturn, the rings and Titan.

[tedstryk]

Actually, although I don't know that Cassini will take advantage of them, there will be some decent flybys in 2006. They might offer some interesting perspectives from Cassini's new orbit. Especially the 9-9-06 flyby of Enceladus - only 40,000. If it is coming in from a polar angle, or at least one appreciably different from the targeted flybies and T3, it could be very worthwhile.

Atlas

9-9-06 -- 85,000

Enceladus

9-9-06 -- 40,000
11-9-06 -- 95,000

Telesto

7-24-06 -- 49,000

Dione

11-21-06 -- 73,000

Helene

2-25-06 -- 71,000
8-17-06 -- 49,000

Rhea

3-21-06 -- 87,000